From TIME · · 1m 10s
Keyur Govande builds Depop's two-sided marketplace
Depop's new CTO prioritizes converting buyers into sellers using AI and eBay's infrastructure.
In brief
Depop's new CTO prioritizes converting buyers into sellers using AI and eBay's infrastructure. Quality engagement matters more than raw user count when building a marketplace community. Originally reported by TIME.
Depop's massive secondhand fashion community
The online marketplace has 56 million registered users and 68 million items for sale, making it a major hub for Gen-Z fashion enthusiasts buying and selling used clothes.
Quality engagement beats raw user numbers
New CTO Keyur Govande argues that user quality matters as much as quantity. Dual users who both buy and sell are more active and engaged community members.
“It's the two-sided nature of our marketplace that makes us really special”
AI streamlines the listing process
Depop uses AI to automatically generate listing titles and descriptions from merchandise photos, reducing friction for sellers and saving them time and effort.
eBay acquisition opens new opportunities
eBay acquired Depop in July 2025. Govande plans to leverage eBay's expertise in shipping and payments to reduce user friction and improve the marketplace experience.
“The ways eBay can support us with its deep expertise in things like shipping and payments is something we're really looking forward to”
Govande brings 14 years of marketplace experience
The new CTO joined Depop in May 2025 after spending more than 14 years at Etsy, where he built expertise in online marketplaces and community building.
The bottom line
Quality engagement matters more than raw user count when building a marketplace community.
